RITES AT DAWN

Wobbler is a retro symphonic prog band whose 3rd album was released earlier this year. Hopefully I will be able to stop saying this soon, but I'm an unfamiliar with anything prior to Rite at Dawn. From what I have read (and can hear on this album), the band plays music in the style of Yes with lots of authentic old instruments. However, while Wobbler may imitate the sound of Yes on this album, they fail to capture the songwriting that made those old albums so good.

While I normally try to stay away from comparisons in reviews and let albums stand on their own merits, it's very difficult to discuss Rite at Dawn without mentioning Yes at all. Funnily enough, the latter released their first album in a decade earlier this year, and frankly Rites at Dawn sounds more like classic Yes than Fly from Here does. Sound is the key word there though. While this album has the sound of the 70s, there's not enough done with it to have anything more than that.

It really is a nice sound the album does capture if it's what you're looking for. The vintage keyboards are in full effect with Mellotron, organ and synthesizers that get you in the mentality of the 70s. The tone of the guitar is also reminiscent of the earlier times, and really if you heard the music out of context, you'd be hard pressed to put the correct year on it.

Though the sound used on the album captures that of classic Yes, the composition is what Wobbler could not capture. The album rarely makes use of its sound to do anything fairly interesting, and most of the songs merely meander forward than really drive to an end. The melodies are just not very strong, and thinking back to the many times I've listened, I find it hard to remember much. There are a couple of really great, exciting moments, but they are far too few to elevate the sound of the album to anything special.

When it comes down to it, the best and the worst that can be said about Rites at Dawn is that its fine; nothing more, nothing less. The album doesn't do anything poorly, but it just doesn't do anything particularly well either. For those of you that are looking for a more modern sounding album, then this is the easiest pass of the year. If you are pining for the sound of the 70s though, this album may briefly interest you, but don't expect to come back to it again and again.